From arranged unions to true love to scandals that rocked the palace, here's a look at ten of the most memorable royal weddings and marriages of the past century.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

February 10, 1840; Buckingham Palace

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were first cousins. Because she was Queen, in order to make him Prince Consort, she had to propose to him. Their lavish wedding was eagerly viewed by devoted subjects who lined the streets to witness the royal procession. The Queen set the standard for wedding gowns moving forward when she donned a white wedding dress so as to incorporate lace she already owned (prior to this, brides wore any color they chose). Victoria and Albert loved each other dearly and had nine children together. After 21 years of blissful marriage, Albert contracted typhoid after a trip to chastise their eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who was away at college and scandalously fooling around with a common actress. When Albert died in December of 1861, Victoria was devastated and held her eldest son responsible for his father's death (historians now believe it was the antiquated drainage system at Windsor Castle that carried the typhoid bacteria that killed Albert). Victoria grieved for the next 40 years over her beloved Albert.

Shown: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in a re-enactment of their marriage ceremony in 1854.

Because his mother, Queen Victoria, was still bereft at the loss of her dear husband Albert 15 months earlier, she did not attend the wedding but instead viewed it from a private gallery above the chapel. As Prince of Wales he used the given name of Albert Edward. Living in the shadow of his mother, Albert Edward spent a lifetime waiting to ascend the throne. During that time he was an all-around playboy and bon vivant. On the ill-fated trip that his father, Prince Albert, took to chastise him for his undignified behavior, Albert Edward was informed that a suitable wife had been chosen for him. His bride-to-be was the lovely Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who later would be considered perhaps the most beautiful Queen England has ever had. Yet the Prince had many affairs after his marriage, and his long-suffering wife bore these indiscretions with great dignity. It is said that at King Edward VII's deathbed, Queen Alexandra magnanimously allowed his last mistress a few moments of solitude in which to say goodbye. Alexandra was revered by her British subjects for the next 15 years until her death in November 1925.